Thursday, October 1, 2026
On March 5 at the Long Beach Island Landmarks Association’s seventh annual meeting, guest speaker Douglas Sheer, vice president of LBILA and Long Beach historian, will present an overview of the city’s history, using photos and picture postcards, highlighting Long Beach’s evolution over the last 100 years.
The discussion, “Long Beach—Then and Now”—will take place at the Long Beach Public Library at 2 p.m., where Sheer will compare photos from years gone by to the same sites today to demonstrate how Long Beach continues to evolve. Admission is free, and light refreshments will be served.
Alexandra Karafinas, president of LBILA, said that it is an honor for the association to have Sheer as a guest speaker at the upcoming meeting.
“He’s a qualified historian,” Karafinas said, noting Sheer is a lifetime Long Beach resident. “He knows the history of the community.” She added, “He’s very quiet. But when he speaks, he knows his subject very well. You can’t help but pay attention. We’re lucky to have him in Long Beach.”
In addition to Sheer’s demonstration, there will also be a video presentation of LBILA’s past events by videographer Barry Rivadue.
“[He] will do an overview of all the past programs of the Landmarks Association from 2010 until now,” Karafinas said. “It’s a good thing to show our members and friends what we’ve done in the past year.”
Karafinas also explained that some upcoming programs will be discussed, one of which, she said, will be putting up historic markers. She said that the markers are historic plaques that feature blue backgrounds and white lettering and explain what historical event took place, at what time, and where.
“It’s a major program this year,” Karafinas said. The LBILA, which is heading into its seventh year and has a membership of more than 250 people, continues to create programs and provide educational tours while striving to preserve the history and historic sites of Long Beach.
“If you don’t have roots, you can’t survive,” Karafinas said. “You need your roots, and your roots are your history.”
For more information about the upcoming meeting, and for future events, please call 516-431-3775.
Comments on this story? CEngelhardt@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
